PORTLAND, OR — Dreaming of a white Christmas? Chances might not be as slim as you think.
“Colder air is on the way - just in time for the holidays,” the National Weather Service said in a special weather statement today. “The forecast is looking increasingly wintry for southwest Washington and northwest Oregon as we head into the Christmas weekend and next week.”
Details are scant, but the forecast calls for “a prolonged period of below normal temperatures” beginning Christmas weekend and extending into next week, the NWS said.
Low temperatures and high chance of precipitation could lead to snow and ice as early as Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the NWS added.
Temperature is expected to drop lower next week, with the forecast calling for “a high probability” of snow hitting the I-5 and Highway 84.
The forecast covers much of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon.
Affected areas include the north and central Oregon coast, the central and south Willamette Valley, the Cascade Foothills and Cascades in northern Oregon and Lane County, the Upper Hood River Valley, the western and central Columbia River Gorge, and the south Washington coast.
Affected cities include Portland, Eugene, Salem, and Vancouver, WA.
The NWS’s detailed forecast calls for nothing but rain or snow until Monday. The snow line is expected to drop from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet after midnight Christmas morning.
Temperatures reach a high of 48 degrees today, and a low of 31 on Sunday night.
Drivers are encouraged to prepare for winter conditions and delays.
Drivers can call 511 for the latest road conditions.
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